Harry Potter and his future career
by asgirl
Summary: A new program has been introduced to Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and his future career

It was early in the summer holidays after his fifth year, and Harry Potter was sitting in the cupboard under the stairs at Number 4 Privet Drive, having been banished there by his aunt and uncle following him having nightmares following the third task of the Triwizard Tournament the previous year, and he had spent his time in the cupboard ever since.

He was wondering what he would do with the remainder of his holidays when a Hogwarts owl swept through the window. Harry released the letter from the owl and it was soon gone. He noticed that there were a number of pieces of parchment attached and decided to read them in the order they were in.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_I include the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Levels below:_

_Astronomy –Acceptable_

_Care of Magical Creatures –Outstanding_

_Charms –Outstanding_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts –Outstanding_

_Divination –Troll_

_Herbology –Exceeds Expectations_

_History of Magic –Troll_

_Potions –Exceeds Expectations_

_Transfiguration –Exceeds Expectations_

_Minerva McGonagoll_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Harry was surprised at some of these results but not so surprised about others of them. He then decided to open the second piece of parchment.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_It has been decided to introduce a new program which is open to all sixth and seventh year students. Under this program you have the option to specialize in an area of study that you so choose, or to follow the normal study program of past sixth and seventh year students. However, should you choose to take this program you will be required to attend for a further 3 years past the normal 6__th__ and 7__th__ years, and you will not have the normal holidays of the rest of the students, however you will be able to enter directly into your chosen field of study once you graduate. Due to the results of your OWLs, you are eligible to be a part of any of the following programs:_

_Teaching Training_

_Auror Training_

_Mediwitch/Wizard or Healer Training_

_Magical Creatures Carer Training_

_Or a general course which will allow you to follow any chosen path once you complete your schooling._

_If you choose to partake in Teaching Training you will study: in further depth the areas in which you wish to teach in the future; the basics of the muggle curriculum so that if you wish to you could also teach in muggle schools. You will also get a chance to follow the professor of the classes which you wish to teach in the future and teach some of those classes._

_If you choose to partake in the Auror Training you will study in great depth the areas which you require in order to be an auror and you will also attend some special training with a Ministry of Magic representative._

_If you choose to partake in Mediwitch/Wizard or Healer training you will study in great depth the illnesses/diseases most prominent in the wizarding world and how to best deal with these. You will also learn spells and how to make potions in order to help cure these diseases. You will also learn a bit about muggle illnesses/diseases so that if you so choose you may work in the muggle environment. You will then spend some time with a Mediwitch/wizard or a healer following them around and observing their duties and assisting where able._

_If you choose to undertake Magical Creatures Carer Training you will study in great depth various Magical Creatures and how to best care for them. You will also follow a Magical Creatures carer around to see what their work is like and to help out where possible._

_If you choose to take part in this program or are unsure whether you wish to take part in this program, it is asked that you arrive by the 1__st__ of August, this will allow you to spend time exploring each of the different options available in this new program before making a final decision as to a) whether you undertake this program and b) what part of the program you wish to undertake._

_If you choose to partake in this program you will be given a mentor who will be there to assist you in your chosen area, and to ensure that you stay on track with your program._

_You will notice that there is no booklist attached to this letter, this is because once you have decided which course of action you wish to undertake you will be given the list of requirements, and then in the last part of the program you will all be given the chance to go to Diagon Alley and purchase the necessary requirements. We ask however that you bring along all of the materials that you have used in your past years and anything else that you think might be useful._

_Please respond by owl by the 20__th__ of July with whether you would like to attend the special extra session before school starts. If you do, the school bus will come by your place on the 1__st__ of August to collect you and to take you to school._

_Minerva McGonagoll_

Deputy Headmistress 

Harry then turned to the third piece of paper which consisted of a few questions.

_Due to the new program being implemented it has been suggested that we remodel the way that the students of the school are housed. The following are the options:_

_keep the School Houses and have all students being kept in their houses, but allowing more room for the extra requirements for the 6__th__ and 7__th__ years undertaking the new program OR_

_Providing new houses each of which would contain one aspect of the new program. The remaining students not involved in the new program would then be divided amongst the houses, and the 1__st__, 2__nd__, 3__rd__, 4__th__ and 5__th__ years would then be divided into the houses depending upon what area they think they would like to follow once they finished their OWL exams._

_As the first students to have the opportunity to partake in this program, we ask that all of this years 6__th__ year students send an owl informing us of what they would prefer, and then whichever is deemed to be the most popular decision will be the one that we go for. This will be announced at the Sorting Feast._

_Minerva McGonagoll_

_Deputy Headmistress_

The final pieces of parchment consisted of the form stating whether he wished to attend the training session, the piece of paper for him to put his preference of how the houses would operate and also a contract stating that he agreed to the terms and conditions of the new program.

Harry immediately decided to owl Ron and Hermione to ask them what they thought they would do. Ron and Hermione immediately responded that they were going to attend the training session and from there decide what they would like to do. Then Harry decided that he also wanted to partake in the training session and went and asked Aunt Petunia (who had unexpectedly been nice to him during the summer, Uncle Vernon and Dudley had been the ones who had kept him locked up) to sign the pieces of parchment for him. He then owled Professor McGonagoll saying that he wished to undertake the training session and that he would see her on the 1st of August.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next couple of weeks, Harry spent his time trying to do his research into the possible career paths he was interested in, mainly teaching and auror training. As he didn't have much information on either of these career paths at his house, he spent a lot of the time owling Ron and Hermione asking them to do the research for him, and to his surprise they managed to come up with a lot of information for him, which helped him to confirm that these were the options that he was going to look more closely at before deciding what to do for his 6th and 7th year.

He however was not the only one doing his research, it seemed that the majority of the future 6th years were doing the same. After doing their research it seemed that Hermione was interested in Teaching or Mediwitch/Healer Training; Ron –Magical Creatures Carer or Auror Training; Neville –Teaching (Herbology of course); Draco –Auror or Defence Teacher. The others however were mainly undecided.

It came as a surprise to many but Ginny and Luna were also given the option to become a part of this program. As they were the brightest students in their year they were given permission to sit for their OWLs early (just before the start of the introductory program) and then should they pass these, permission to enter this program.

On the 19th July, Ginny and Luna started sitting for their OWL exams and, as both decided that they were doing fairly well, decided to take up the opportunity to attend the introductory program. On the 31st July, Ginny and Luna completed their exams and immediately got their results –they had passed with all Outstandings, and Exceeds Expectations. They were officially future 6th and 7th years along with the students who had completed their OWL exams the year before.

On the 1st of August, Harry woke up bright and early to ensure that he was ready when the bus came, as he had not received any indication as to what time it would arrive to pick him up. This turned out to be a good idea, as at 6am a horn blasted outside the house and Harry looked outside to see a school bus outside, so he hurriedly gathered his gear, said a quick farewell to the Dursleys and ran outside to the bus, where he was greeted by Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagoll, who proceeded to help Harry get his trunk onto the bus, and get settled into an armchair (which had replaced normal school bus seats) before they left Number 4 Privet Drive.

Not long after they had left Privet Drive, Harry asked the Professor's why they had picked him up so early, and they said it was because of the number of students who had decided to take up the offer of this introductory session. Almost every future 6th year student (including Ginny and Luna) had taken up the opportunity.

The next couple of hours was spent picking up the other students who had taken up the opportunity, and in the meantime all the students were excitedly talking about the new opportunity which had been presented to them, and what exciting new things they could possibly be learning.

Once all of the students had been picked up, Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed them. _"Welcome, to this exciting new program, we will soon be arriving at Hogwarts, you will be spending the next couple of weeks in your house dormitories, whilst the remodeling of the house structure takes place, once the final decision has been made about which program you will undertake, you will be placed into the respective houses. The Gryffindor dormitories will contain those undertaking Teaching Training, the Hufflepuff dormitories will contain those undertaking Magical Creatures Carer Training, the Ravenclaw dormitories will contain those undertaking Mediwitch/Wizard or Healer Training and the Slytherin dormitories will contain those undertaking Auror training. Do not let this, however, influence your decision, as this is just how it has been necessary to do things, otherwise it would have meant remodeling the whole castle. Please use the next couple of days to do some more research into what you think you might like to focus on, and on Monday you will begin the Introductory Program. Please also, ensure that you have completed the necessary paperwork and readings in your introductory package which you will find in your dormitories. Also, if once you decide which program you wish to undertake, you realise that you may not be able to afford the necessary requirements, do not let this make you change your decision, as there are a number of scholarships and such which will ensure that your requirements are paid for. Best of luck with this program and let this be an exciting new opportunity for all."_

Once the bus pulled up at Hogwarts, the students piled out and headed for their respective dormitories. Once there, they sorted out their equipment and had a look at their introductory packages realising that these would take them the majority of the weekend to complete, and therefore deciding to get an early night and start on them first thing in the morning.

In the next chapter –The beginning of the Introductory Program, further insight into what each of the programs would entail, decisions over what program they would undertake, and who would be their mentor.


End file.
